WC Electric at Elkland

West Carleton Electric went 2 and 2 at Elkland to finish tied for 7th of 17 teams.


Game 1: Reading, PA Rise Fastpitch 7 West Carleton Electric 0

Bud Hanlon took the loss with relief from Stittsville pick up Darren Featherstone as WC Electric struggled offensively. Mike Smith was the winning pitcher for the eventual 3rd place finishers allowing only three hits.

Game 2: West Carleton Electric 10 Williamsport, PA Beverage Barn 9
The Electric at one point had a 8-2 lead and seemed to be in control, but the scrappy Williamsport team came back to tie the game 8-8 in the top of the sixth. The Electric scored two in the bottom of the sixth and held the Bevies to one in the bottom of the final inningf or the one run win. Matt Greer had a home run in this one for WC. Jeff Cavanagh made a game saving diving catch in right field to preserve the win in the seventh inning. Bud Hanlon had the win on the slab in this game, in relief of 16-year-old rookie Andy Barber.

Game 3: West Carleton Electric 5 Allentown, PA First Kings 4
WC spotted their opponents four runs in the first inning with some defensive miscues, but came back to win the game. Darren Featherstone had the complete game win for the Electric. Key hits came from Neil Murphy and Joe McCleary.

Game 4: Elkland, PA Thunderbellys 5 West Carleton Electric 2 (8 innings)
The win in the third game set up an exciting Sunday night showdown in the main stadium between the Electric and the hometown Elkland team.

In front of a vocal crowd guesstimated at about 500, Bud Hanlon (known to Elkland locals as "the Gorilla") pitched very well with a two hitter over the regulation seven innings until giving up two hits and a walk which accounted for three runs in the top of the eighth. Jeff Van Hooser, a pick up from Ashland Stockpack started the game for Elkland, giving way to Paul Algar, a former New Zealand national team pitcher, who was the eventual winner.

The Electric scored two runs in the third inning on an Adam Brown RBI single and a passed ball which scored Andy Barber, chasing Van Hooser from the game. In the next inning, with Paul Algar chucking, Jeremy Cook had an incredible catch in right field for Elkland, stealing a triple from Joe McCleary that would have scored Matt Greer from second.

Elkland overcame the 2 run deficit by making their two hits in regulation count - a Dave Butler solo home run, followed two innings later by a Bob Kizer RBI single that scored Butler who had reached on WC's only error of the game.

The Bellys' scored three in the eighth. The pinch runner they sent to second base for the international rule was a 62 year old dude that was faster than the Bellys' catcher. The old dude advanced to third on a passed ball. Big Bud struck out the first two batters of the inning. Then Billy Sherman, whose dad had died earlier in the day, came to the plate with a pinch hit opportunity. Sherman worked a full count and walked to put runners on the corners. Then Cook re-entered the game to run for Sherman. The next hitter, Jamie Miller slapped the ball off hand deep between second and third, and with the only possibly play at first, the speedy Miller beat the throw and was safe as the old dude scored. Ryan Morgan then doubled to score two more runs and push the lead to 5-2. A Tom Dexter single threatened to put the game further out of reach, but Hanlon was able to get the final out of the inning putting WC at bat.

The Electric had Trevor Barton at second to start the inning. Darren Featherstone led off at the plate against Paul Algar and ripped a line drive down third base, that had triple written all over it - but it was caught by Tom Dexter and thrown over to second to double off Barton. Matt Greer then doubled to give WC some life. The next batter, Jeff Cavanagh drove a hard liner to centre, but it was caught to end the game.